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<br />Saguache County Area, Colorado
<br />stockwater development, and brush control help prevent
<br />range deterioration and promote the growth of more
<br />desirable plants.
<br />Where used as range, this Mosca soil has limited
<br />potential for wildlife habitat because of low vegetative
<br />production. In nonirrigated areas, the soil is best used for
<br />habitat for wildlife such as jackrabbits, cottontail, and
<br />coyote. If the soil is irrigated, crop residue from oats and
<br />barley may provide food for ring-necked pheasant and
<br />waterfowl.
<br />This soil is well suited to homesite development. In
<br />places, excavation for houses and access roads exposes
<br />material that is highly susceptible to soil blowing. Shoring
<br />is needed during excavations to prevent caving. Septic
<br />tank absorption fields and trench-type sanitary landfills
<br />can contaminate ground water.
<br />This soil is in capability subclasses Ille, irrigated, and
<br />Vlls, nonirrigated. It is in the Valley Sand range site.
<br />51-Mount Home-Saguache complex, 2 to 25
<br />percent slopes. These deep, well drained and
<br />somewhat excessively drained soils are on fans and
<br />terraces al elevations of 7,700 to 8,300 feet. The
<br />average annual precipitation is about 9 inches; the
<br />average annual air temperature is about 43 degrees F;
<br />nd the frost-free period is about 90 days.
<br />The Mount Home soils make up about 50 percent of
<br />the unit, and the Saguache soils make up about 35
<br />percent. About 15 percent of the unit is Comodore very
<br />stony loam, Ouray loamy sand, and Uracca very cobbly
<br />loam.
<br />The Mount Home soils are deep, well drained to
<br />somewhat excessively drained soils. They formed in very
<br />cobbly alluvium. Typically, the surface layer is light
<br />brownish gray very cobbly sandy loam about 16 inches
<br />thick. The underlying layers to a depth of 60 inches are
<br />very pale brown and pale brown extremely cobbly sandy
<br />loam.
<br />Permeability in these Mount Home soils is moderately
<br />rapid. Effective rooting depth is 60 inches or more.
<br />Available water capacity is low. Surface runoff is slow,
<br />and the hazard of erosion is slight to moderate.
<br />The Saguache soils are deep and well drained. They
<br />formed in alluvium. Typically, the surface layer is light
<br />brownish gray gravelly sandy loam 8 inches thick. The
<br />next layer is light yellowish brown gravelly loamy sand 8
<br />inches thick. The underlying material to a depth of 60
<br />inches is pale brown very gravelly sand.
<br />Permeability in these Saguache soils is moderately
<br />rapid. Effective rooting depth is about 60 inches.
<br />Available water capacity is low. Surface runoff is slow,
<br />and the hazard of erosion is slight.
<br />f Both the Mount Home and Saguache soils are used
<br />or range, although grass production is limited because
<br />f the cobblestone content and the thin stands of pinyon
<br />hd juniper trees.
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<br />The potential natural vegetation on the Mount Home
<br />soils is dominated by western wheatgrass,
<br />needleandthread, Indian ricegrass, blue grama, and
<br />pinyon pine. If the range deteriorates, the proportion of
<br />Indian ricegrass, needleandthread, and western
<br />wheatgrass decreases, and that of blue grama,
<br />squirreltail, threeawn, snakeweed, and rabbitbrush
<br />increases. Some bushy plants, such as tourwing saltbush
<br />and true mountainmahogany, provide forage for livestock
<br />and wildlife.
<br />The potential natural vegetation on the Saguache soils
<br />is dominated by blue grama, Indian ricegrass, western
<br />wheatgrass, needleandthread, winterfat, and fourwing
<br />saltbush. If the range deteriorates, the proportion of
<br />Indian ricegrass, needleandthread and western
<br />wheatgrass decreases, and that of blue grama,
<br />threeawn, snakeweed, and rabbitbrush increases.
<br />Undesirable weeds invade and become more abundant
<br />as range condition declines.
<br />These soils support habitat for such wildlife as
<br />antelope, deer, jackrabbit, cottontail, coyote, and various
<br />rodent species. True mountainmahogany on the Mount
<br />Home soils is a valuable browse plant Tor deer.
<br />The soils in this complex are poorly suited to homesite
<br />development. The main limitations are large stones and
<br />slope. The use of heavy equipment is necessary for
<br />most construction on these soils. Septic tank absorption
<br />fields are difficult to install because of large stones, and
<br />they do not adequately filter the effluent in the Saguache
<br />soils. Sewage lagoons and trench-type sanitary landfills
<br />can cause pollution of groundwater. Caving of cutbanks
<br />is a problem if the Saguache soils are excavated.
<br />This complex is in capability subclass Vlls,
<br />nonirrigated. Mount Home soils are in the Rocky
<br />Foothills range site, and Saguache soils are in the
<br />Mountain Outwash range site.
<br />52-Norte gravelly sandy loam. This deep, nearly
<br />level, moderately well drained soil is on terraces and
<br />fans on alluvial valley floors. Elevation is 7,600 to 7,900
<br />feet. The soil formed in calcareous, moderately coarse
<br />textured alluvium overlying beds of sand and gravel. The
<br />average annual precipitation is about 7 inches; the
<br />average annual air temperature is about 41 degrees F;
<br />and the average frost-free period is about 90 days.
<br />Included in this unit are small areas of Dunul very
<br />gravelly sandy loam, Saguache gravelly loam, and San
<br />Arcacio sandy loam, all having slope of 0 to 1 percent.
<br />Typically, the surface layer of this Norte soil is brown
<br />gravelly sandy loam about 8 inches thick. The upper part
<br />of the underlying material is brown gravelly sandy loam
<br />about 18 inches thick. The lower part to a depth of 60
<br />inches is light brownish gray very gravelly sand. The soil
<br />is calcareous throughout.
<br />Permeability is rapid. Effective rooting depth is limited
<br />by a high water table that fluctuates between depths of
<br />2.5 and 4.0 feet most of the summer. Available water
<br />
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